Do you buy expensive trainers…for your kids

I don’t think they’re tacky, just not suitable for sports.

I like Adidas Samba but again, they’re a fashion shoe not a sports shoe. So you’d need another pair of trainers for actual sports.

They're better than some pairs I've seen, but unless my child was a serious athlete and I'd been told they needed specific shoes, I wouldn't spend £55 on them.

Having said that, the light up Skechers are expensive and so ridiculously tacky that they tip into hilarious and I'd probably let my daughter talk me into a pair. Not least because I owned a pair of Skechers as a kid and they were the most comfortable shoes I've ever had.

Now you see, I think the Clark’s trainers are tacky as fuck🤔
give me a nice pair of adidas samba anyday

horses for courses innit

I used to play badminton in these trainers so they are a sport shoe. We were only allowed with gum soles so the floor wasn't marked.

When DD was 5/6, she had those Nike Velcro ones that everyone had from sports direct. Just under £30. Perfect. Boys had them too. Only when she was 11 did we shell out and she really got us then! £130 for Jordan's. 🫣

At that age my DS would usually have one pair of branded, expensive trainers (Vans, Nike) but they were max £50-60, I think Nike sells some for more even in the infant sizes. I'd do my best to buy on sale or with a discount code to get them cheaper. These would be for 'going out'. Then he'd have a pair of everyday-ish ones that I wouldn't mind him getting dirty at the park etc. from H&M or the supermarket. Zara does really good looking trainers for kids, and on sale they're cheap, but I do worry about foot support.

PE shoes at school are actually usually Nike or Adidas, but the standard-looking ones in navy or black that go for about £30.

DS is 5 and wears Nike trainers. I got him some cheaper ones from Zara and they fell apart in no time.

I quite happily buy him Nike, Adidas etc. but wouldn't buy anything expensive like Golden Goose for him.

Yeah but I justify the cost because I can pass them down to younger DC when they’re outgrown. I don’t buy them 500 pairs either. They have school shoes, wellies, smart trainers, PE trainers and scruffy messing about trainers I usually get on vinted or from a supermarket. DS also has to have black plimsoles for drama.

not expensive expensive but one pair of ‘decent’ trainers. Everytime my son (he’s 4) goes up a size I ensure he has a pair of Nike or addidas (sometimes sketchers) trainers of around £25/£30 in the sales. It’s not that expensive, but I’m kind of funny with the fact that he needs a pair of good daily trainers that’ll last and will be kind to his feet. All other shoes, such as crocs, are unbranded and inexpensive. It’s going to be harder when he grows up as I know the older he gets, the more expensive the trainers will be and he’ll only want brands. But if I have any luck, he’ll be like me who was in the same size for years each time.

Trainers for my 4 year old probably up to £40.

My older kids by the time they were about 10, it was about £100. By the time they were 16 it was about £150.

Branded with a tick or some stripes doesn’t necessarily equal good quality.

My boys have always had branded, usually Adidas but they have moved to Nike. I set a budget and if they want something more expensive they have to chip in with birthday/Xmas money. They wear them 100% of the time outside of school so it makes sense to buy good quality.

Yes but second hand on Vinted , often you can find them barely worn for a bargain price

I do but I buy them from Vinted not brand new from shops. Its you are cleaver and watch out for scams you can get pretty much brand new shoes for really good prices.
My DS is 7 (tomorrow) and DD is 2.5 years.
DS has a specific pair of Clarks football style trainers he loves which he wears for school PE. Then he has some Nike Airs for home. He originally got a pair for a Christmas present one year and I just keep buying the same style in bigger sizes as he likes them.
DD has a pair of Nike Air to match mine - a present for my birthday to be matching but usually I get them off vinted as she grows so quickly.

They each have one black pair of leather shoes for school - Geox or Clarks. Trainers, they each have one pair of Adidas Superstars. Other than that, my daughter has a pair of boots from m&s, and they both have football boots from adidas as they play a lot.

You don’t do sport in gazelles. They are leisure shoes.

Buy proper shoes and stop being influenced by fashion trends.

This particular child is 5 though.

Certainly as a teenager we bought him what trainers he wanted. Having grown up being the untrendiest kids at school, my brother and I always vowed not to have our kids picked on like that. It matters, whether we like it or not.

Please dont buy Gazelles for sport. They are designed to be a fashion trainer. With developing feet it is so important to get a correct fit and shoe for the activity. For P.E / impact sports, age 6, look for a trainer with great shock absorption yet enough support for their developing arches.

I've never bought my kids expensive trainers except for sport use only.

I've always been able to get branded ones for £10-£15 in sports direct or eBay

Yes but we only have 1 or 2 pairs of shoes for each child at any one time, so they wear them almost daily. Either sports brands or Clarks, Geox etc. Often bought cheaper online or in sales. I've bought supermarket shoes in the past and they just don't last as well. I will go cheap on clothes but go for brands on coats and shoes .

I'll pay £40-50 for a high quality pair of Clarks or barefoot brand shoes, although usually I manage to buy new with tags on Vinted for £20-25 instead

I won't ever pay £50-200 for the latest trend in sporty brands, not least because they are tacky af.

I might consider it if I was advised they needed shoes for a specific sport and they were taking that sport seriously.

I agree re gazelles not for long distance walking but DD wore Nike 95's for a 10 day trip of 15k a day in Canada. She was the only one of the group that didn't get blisters.

Yes I bought both DD's branded trainers from about 12yo. They worked out good value as they were worn so much.